Letter Writing

Letter writing, like any other form, of writing is excellent practice for kids learning to read. No matter what skill level they are at, from the earliest attempts at forming letters to those who are becoming eloquent in their writing, letters can be a great way to get children excited about writing.

When children write letters to friends or relatives, they improve in their ability to express ideas and feelings as well as increase their working vocabulary. Because they are telling someone about actual events, they begin to understand how to organize their thoughts and express them.

Unlike writing in their personal journals, children are encouraged to ask for help in spelling and grammar when writing to others. Both activities are extremely helpful for developing good writing (as well as reading) skills.

As part of our Reading Program , children are assigned to write a letter to someone. To make the most of this activity, kids should have the opportunity to address the envelope, place the letter within it, stamp the envelope, and send it off. This gives them a sense of accomplishment and achievement.

Alternatively, your family may enjoy creating your own mail system, complete with mailboxes for each member of the family and an assigned "mail carrier" each day. Kids love it, and those heartfelt letters from your children are worth the effort!

You can make letter writing even more fun by allowing your children to write their letters on stationery. We have a few patterns to choose from here. Click on the links below to bring up your free stationery pages and print them off.

In addition to writing letters, your children may enjoy wriring special cards to their friends or family members. They may need to write Thank You cards for gifts or make cards for other special occasions. Most kids enjoy making their own cards. A simple piece of construction paper and some crayons or markers along with a little imagination can do wonders. Encourage your children to include a sincere message with each card they send.